These Words of My Heart
by dvshipper
Summary: Vala is determined to make Daniel take her out to dinner. Daniel/Vala. Brief references to Memento Mori. A/N: I wrote this awhile back and realized I hadn't posted it here yet. Enjoy! Please R&R!


Title: These Words of My Heart

Author: dvshipper

Summary: Vala is determined to make Daniel take her out to dinner. What she wants, she gets. Vague references to Memento Mori. Yes, it is the Celine Dion song (read on and you'll get what I'm talking about).

A/N: Thanks to Lisa Michelle for being an awesome beta on this! ReviewsLove!

"Daniel you're taking me out to dinner," Vala stated as she sauntered through the door of Daniel's office. She had on a black sleeveless dress with a scoop neck showing off her neck and a hem that barely reached her knees, making it seem as though her legs went on forever. Her feet were adorned with new red patent leather heels. She was determined to have dinner with Daniel and her alien seductress powers were in full swing, more so than usual. 

"And when did I agree to this?" Daniel said, glancing up from his work at Vala. He hadn't expected her to be wearing quite possibly the sexiest thing he'd ever seen. Even if he said no the whole night would be a waste because he wouldn't be able to concentrate on any work. He watched Vala's body sway as she moved deliberately toward him, an intent look on her face. 

"You didn't. I'm telling you we're going out to dinner, darling," Vala told him, now right at his side leaning her hip on the table top. Vala hoped she could remember the strategy she had worked out because the sight of Daniel made her mind swim. 

"Vala, I really have to work. Maybe next week," Daniel said, trying to keep his eyes on the tablet in front of him. It reminded him of the tablet Vala had brought him when she first came to Earth and what it led them to discover. While he had been excited by the Ancient artifacts they found, to him the best thing that came out of it was Vala. 

"Daniel," Vala purred. "You and I both know it's time you take a break from all these translations. Dinner is the perfect thing. Besides, I already made reservations at Il Fiore Bianco, that Italian restaurant you took me to before all that memory stuff. I never did get that passion fruit martini."

"Yeah, I remember the place. But I can't take a break; I have to finish this, Vala. I'm sorry, but you'll have to cancel your reservations," Daniel replied, trying his best to resist temptation. He saw a slender hand reach for the piece of chiseled stone and grab it. "Hey! What the hell are you doing?" Daniel snapped his head towards Vala who was now holding the tablet behind her back. 

"This tablet is how old, thousands of years, maybe more? Believe me it can wait a couple of hours. Come with me and you get your precious artifact back. Refuse again, and I'm afraid I've become very clumsy lately," Vala watched as Daniel's eyebrows rose in a warning, just a hint of frustration behind his eyes.

"Vala…."

"You're only choice is to have dinner with me," Vala grinned, thinking she'd succeeded. 

"No, I can just wait until you decide to give the tablet back. I know you wouldn't really break it. I can be very patient and I have other work I can do until then," Daniel told her, becoming seemingly relaxed as he turned to a file of papers on the edge of his desk. He heard Vala humph in frustration as she slammed the door of his office on her way out. Daniel smiled to himself as he tried to concentrate on his work once again.

Vala thought how Daniel could be so stubborn as she walked briskly back to her quarters a couple floors up by way of the elevator. She passed an SF who she glared down when she flew by him. Vala pushed through the door of her quarters and set the tablet on her dresser before flopping down on the bed. "Literally all dressed up with no place to go," she quietly said to herself, knowing that they'd be late to the restaurant or miss their reservations entirely. 

Vala wished, hoped, he'd just waltz through the door and sweep her off her feet. She knew however that that wasn't going to happen. Daniel wasn't the type to just tell her his feelings. She hoped he had feelings he couldn't tell her. Vala stood up and walked over to the mirror that was hung on the wall. The reflection she saw was of a confident, beautiful woman. Isn't that what Daniel saw? Vala wondered what Daniel was thinking at that moment. He was most likely completely captivated by his boring papers, instead of her. Vala then had an idea that lit up her face and she picked up the phone. 

Daniel couldn't concentrate at all. Vala was the only thing on his mind. He could still smell her perfume lingering in the room. "Damn, she's beautiful," Daniel whispered, thinking he was the only who could hear. However, at the same moment he said that, Cameron walked in.

"Who's beautiful?" Colonel Mitchell asked Daniel as he shut the door behind him.

"What? Oh, nothing, um…..Hey, what are you doing here so late? I thought you were the normal one who actually went home at the end of the day," Daniel said, looking up from the papers scattered across his desk. 

"Where'd you get that idea, Jackson? I get home just 'bout as much as you do. Anyway, I was wondering if you wanted to go grab some coffee."

"Yeah, sure. Coffee sounds good," Daniel replied, getting up and walking past Mitchell toward the door. Coffee would maybe give Daniel a chance to get his mind off of Vala. 

Cameron followed Daniel down the hall to the elevator, where he swiped his ID card. Daniel pressed the button for the level that the commissary was on when they got in the small space. "So, what were you mumbling about when I walked in?" Mitchell asked Daniel, who was looking at the floor. 

"Oh, nothing. Just thinking out loud," Daniel replied, trying to sound relaxed. The elevator doors opened and he quickly stepped out of the elevator, barely waiting for Mitchell. 

When the two got to the commissary, Daniel went straight for the coffee filling a mug and adding cream and sugar. Mitchell grinned as he watched Daniel who was acting a little nervous and distracted. "It's her isn't it?" he asked as they found an empty blue covered table, which wasn't hard considering the base had a small skeleton crew at night. 

"Huh….What are you talking about?" Daniel asked, attempting to look confused but he clearly understood who Mitchell was referring to. 

"You know, Jackson. Vala, she's been gettin' under your skin hasn't she?" Mitchell questioned, sipping his coffee.

"I guess. Just lately she's been layin' on the charm kind of thick, you know? Like tonight, she just marched in to my office, claiming that I was going to take her to dinner. It's like she won't give up," Daniel said with a sigh. 

"What's wrong with taking her out somewhere? Maybe then she'll stop buggin' you," Mitchell offered. 

"Maybe, or it'll go the opposite way and she'll never leave me alone again," Daniel mused.

"She never leaves you alone now. It's worth a try."

"I guess. We probably won't make the reservations she made though." Daniel said, hoping that meant he wouldn't have to take her anywhere. 

"Hey, I know this great place; little hole in the wall bar. Great food, she'd probably like it. It's called Johnny's Place." Cameron suggested, drawing a crude map of directions to the bar on a napkin.

"Yeah, maybe then she'll stop bothering me and I can actually get some work done," Daniel said, picking up the napkin with the directions along with his coffee and left the Cameron alone in the room full of empty tables.

Vala walked into the commissary after Daniel was out of sight. She had been at the opposite end of the hall, waiting for him to leave. She sauntered over to Cameron, a fifty dollar bill in her hand. "What'd he say?" she asked, clearly excited. 

"Looks like you're going out tonight, princess." Mitchell said, grabbing the money out of Vala's hand. "Thanks," he said, pocketing the bill and grabbing his coffee before walking out. 

Vala smiled, swiftly walking back to her quarters, knowing Daniel would be knocking on her door soon.

Daniel walked down the hall slowly, still contemplating his impending decision. Colonel Mitchell was pretty convincing, why was that? But he had come to a decision. Even though he didn't normally enjoy bars, it was better than a fancy restaurant. Daniel would take her out to Johnny's Place. Hopefully he wasn't making a huge mistake. 

Daniel stopped in his quarters first. He changed into fitted dark wash jeans and a sport jacket. He ran a comb through his hair as he passed the mirror and grabbed his wallet and car keys off the top of the dresser. He really needed to put his wallet somewhere Vala couldn't find it. He thought of the shoes Vala was wearing, wondering whether his credit card had paid for them. He opened the door and started down the hallway.

Vala's door quickly came into sight. He brought his slightly closed fist softly down on the door in three knocks. Vala opened the door wearing the same dress he had seen her in earlier. Only something was different. She looked sad and there was a tear falling down her cheek. 

"Vala, what's wrong?" Daniel asked as soon as he saw her. He hoped he hadn't been the cause of her distress. No matter how much she annoyed him, he never wanted to see her hurt. 

"Nothing, I'm glad you're here though. Decided to take me out after all?" Vala asked, a grin reaching her lips. She reached for her purse which was on the table behind the door. She quietly slipped the eye drops she had been holding behind her back into the small clutch, never breaking Daniel's worried gaze. 

"Yes, if you still want to go somewhere. I was thinking this bar that Colonel Mitchell suggested, since we probably missed the reservations at the restaurant," Daniel said, watching as Vala's face lit up in a smile. Her hair was loose and perfectly framed her face. Daniel couldn't help but admire how pretty she looked. 

"I'd be glad to go with you," Vala replied, wrapping her arm around Daniel's, the small red clutch in her other hand. She walked with him down the hall to the elevator. She watched his hand swipe the white ID card through the reader. The doors opened and they stepped inside, Vala sticking right next to him. The button to the parking garage lit up when she pushed it. 

As they got into Daniel's car, Vala glanced at Daniel. He appeared to have fixed himself up a little, which made Vala happy. It was a hint that he had put some effort into this. The thought that this was a one time thing had briefly crossed her mind but only very briefly. Vala had learned over the last two years that Daniel only did something when he wanted to. If he was taking to her out to dinner, it was because he cared. She looked out the window to the darkness outside, spotted by tiny yellow and orange dots of light. 

Daniel concentrated on the road in front of him, trying to filter through all the things that were going through his mind. He wondered why Vala was crying when he picked her up. He thought about what he would do when the night ended. Would he kiss her or a hug or what? His thoughts stopped when they reached the bar and parked in the front. 

Vala smiled when she walked into the bar. "It's just like Cameron described it," Vala said quietly. She then realized what she had let slip, worried Daniel would notice. He didn't though, due to the horrible man singing an upbeat song on a small stage. A banner overhead read KARAOKE NIGHT. 

Daniel's face dropped when he read the banner. He hated karaoke, especially when sung by drunken guys who couldn't sing when they were sober. Hopefully the quality of the food would compensate for the live 'entertainment'. There weren't that many people there, so Daniel and Vala found a table near the bar, as far from the stage as Daniel could find. 

"Oh, Daniel, they have karaoke here. I saw it on TV once and it looks fun," Vala said, picking up one of the menus that were propped up in the middle of the table. After she looked through the two pages of different foods, she decided on the Western Barbecue Burger. She moved her eyes toward Daniel who looked different in the low lighting. Not like an archaeologist who studied books all day, but more like one of the sexy actors in those romantic comedies she watched. He looked up at her above his menu. 

"I'm not singing, if that's what you're going to ask next which I know it is," Daniel told her. A waitress with bleach blonde hair and dark eyeliner stepped up next to their table. She clicked a pen on her hip and held up the order pad that was in her hand. 

"You two ready to order?" She asked, eyeing them as if she though that they were long time lovers. 

"Yes, I'll have a passion fruit martini and the Western Barbecue Burger," Vala said confidently to the young waitress.

"Sorry, sweetie, we're pretty simple around here. We don't have passion fruit martinis. Regular one okay?" the waitress asked while writing down Vala's dinner order. 

"That's fine," Vala said, her smile slipping a little. Daniel had ordered her a passion fruit martini on their last date, but she never got to try it. She wasn't very picky though. 

"I'll have the Barbecue Beef Sandwich and a diet coke, thanks," Daniel told the blonde. He set the menu down in the middle of the table where Vala had set hers as the waitress walked back to the bar. The man had stopped singing on the stage, but Daniel didn't notice. He was totally taken in by Vala's expression, which was an amused and knowing look. "What?" he asked, curiosity taking him over.

"Nothing, I'm just glad we got around to our second date," Vala replied with a smile. She knew exactly what he'd say next because it was what he said every time someone mentioned their first date.

"It wasn't a date. It was two friends and co-workers out for dinner," Daniel lied. He felt now that it really was a date; he just hadn't realized when they were at that fancy Italian restaurant. For some reason he didn't know, he was becoming increasingly interested in Vala. The way she moved, the way she talked, he paid attention to everything. 

"Of course it was, darling," Vala noticed there was something different in the way he said it this time. Almost as if he wasn't sure. Glad with her new discovery, she took a sip of the drink the waitress had just brought. Not fruity, but it would do.

Daniel shook his head, trying to sell that he really did think that date was just dinner. He grabbed the glass of soda that was now on the table and drank from it, the drink cold on his lips. He sat back and looked around at the sports memorabilia on the walls. Daniel could see why Mitchell liked this place. 

Vala noticed that a woman had gotten on the karaoke stage and was starting to sing a slow song. As Vala listened to lyrics which were about finding love and the right man, she saw that the woman was staring at a man at a table in front of the stage. She was singing about finding that man and his love. Vala's smirked as an idea popped into her head. About that time, her food was put on the table. 

The waitress had brought two huge plates of food. One with Daniel's sandwich and homemade potato chips and one with a Vala's three person sized burger and fresh hot French fries. Silence ensued as the two started eating, glancing at each other occasionally. Daniel was amused when Vala tried to get her mouth around the burger, getting barbecue sauce on her cheek. He let out a little chuckle which got him a confused look from Vala. 

"What?" Vala asked, frustrated she didn't know what he thought was so funny.

"Here," Daniel said as he reached up his napkin and dabbed the spot of sauce on her cheek. He felt his hand linger a little longer than expected then quickly withdrew it. Vala smiled and continued eating.

Vala was thinking of different songs she'd heard in movies and on the CDs she'd listened to. She remembered one from a movie she'd watched not long ago. It was perfect and she hoped Daniel would think so too. When she noticed Daniel had finished the last of his sandwich, she got out of her chair and walked over to the stage. Vala asked the man standing by the stage in charge of the karaoke machine if he had the song she wanted. He nodded his head. 

Daniel watched with a confused look as Vala got on the stage and put her hand on the microphone. The music started and Vala began singing. She had a slightly nervous expression on her face when she looked at Daniel. 

Vala sang more confidently after seeing Daniel's face, almost like he was giving her the courage to sing the lyrics. "For all the wrong that you made right. For every dream you made come true," she sang, the lyrics directed straight at Daniel. Strange warmth started growing in her stomach and it wasn't the barbecue sauce. "You're the one who saw me through, through it all." At this point Vala realized that this warmth was because of Daniel. It was something she had never felt before, but recognized as love. 

"You saw the best there was in me," Vala continued to sing and Daniel listened totally captivated by her voice. He realized this was her way of saying something of great importance; she loved him. "I'm everything I am because you loved me," he heard every word, knowing she meant each one. As he sat there, he realized something. The feelings were not entirely one way. Everything that had happened in the last two years had been leading to this. He admitted to himself that he loved Vala and always had. 

As Vala sang the words that appeared on the screen in front of her she felt like a great burden had lifted off her back. She could tell by his caring expression that he knew what she was saying. It wasn't just a song Vala had heard in a movie once; it was the feelings of her heart set to music. The next lyrics held particular importance to her. "Through the lies you were the truth. My world is a better place because of you."

When Daniel heard that he couldn't help but think back to the time he'd come to his quarters to find Vala in his bed. How she told him of how she was beaten and stoned by her own village. How she was messing with him then. However now he understood that this was no longer a game. She was completely honest, one of the only times he'd seen her like this. 

A tear dropped from Vala's eye as she continued the song. "Lifted me up when I couldn't reach. You gave me faith 'cause you believed." He had believed in her, when she couldn't count on anyone else. Out of all the men in the galaxy, she'd found the only one she trusted completely. He wouldn't steal from her or hurt her. That wasn't Daniel. Daniel only gave and he had given her everything she needed. "Because you loved me."

As Vala finished the song, the waitress brought Daniel the bill. "That girl's got quite the voice. You're a lucky guy," the blonde told Daniel. 

"I know," Daniel replied quietly. He watched as Vala came back to the table and sat down. "You ready to go?" he asked.

"Yes, that's fine," she said, grabbing her purse from the empty chair next to her. She stood up and wrapped her arm around Daniel's as they walked out, as she had done earlier. Daniel opened the car door for her, being unusually gentlemanlike. 

The ride back to the base was marked with awkward silence, only broken when they checked into the security booth outside Cheyenne Mountain. The walk through the base to Vala's quarters was spent in the same quiet. Then they reached Vala's door. She was ready to open it and go right in having become confused by the silence Daniel gave her, but he touched her elbow encouraging her to stay with him for a moment. "Daniel, I'm tired, so I'd just like to get to bed," she told him as she turned her head to the door, disappointed he hadn't said anything on the ride home. 

"Vala," Daniel reached up and turned her to look at him with a touch of his fingers on her chin. "That song was…" 

"Its okay, Daniel. Let's just forget about it," she replied, hoping she could get in the door before the tears that were building in her eyes let loose. Then she was taken by surprise when Daniel suddenly kissed her. She couldn't tell if she was in a dream or reality. When she felt Daniel's palm warm on her jaw, she knew it was entirely real. He was definitely here. 

As Daniel broke away from the kiss, he opened his eyes to find Vala's still closed. "Goodnight, Vala," Daniel said, leaving her at her door. He walked down the hall, feeling very suave for once in his life. He thought that this is what Cary Grant must have felt like most of the time. Daniel knew no words needed to be spoken; with them it had always been unspoken but always felt. 

Vala opened her eyes to see Daniel walking down the hall. She smiled to herself, knowing she'd done the right thing in singing at the bar. She was now sure that he really did care for her. Even though he didn't say it, he didn't have to. After that night, Vala would never doubt his love for her. No matter how often he got mad or told her to shut up, she knew deep down he loved her. 

She slid her ID card through the reader next to the door and slipped into the room that had become her home in the last year. As she sat on the side of her bed taking her shoes off, she thought about everything that had happened that night. She had made a gamble when she called Mitchell to help her out, not knowing if he would tell Daniel she was scheming. She made a gamble when she sung that song to Daniel, not knowing how he would react. She knew afterwards that those gambles had paid off in a big way. Tonight would be the night that marked what she knew she'd remember as the beginning of a relationship with Daniel. She turned off the light and snuggled underneath the covers of her bed, content that she finally succeeded in capturing Daniel's heart.


End file.
